Grants, subsidies and location.

At one level yes it makes a lot of sense to go to an area which is offering the above. The snag is always in the small print. Can you take any existing staff with you? Have you been in existence too long? Do you meet the multicultural requirements? etc

These are not idle problems. As a small business I have applied for grants, I have never been successful. Why? In one case I did not employ enough people fron an ethnic minority, in another I had traded for 5 years, the cut-off was 4, in another case they would help with staff training costs but not working capital etc.

There is an assumption that there is a lot of money out there and there is BUT you have to tick the right boxes. It is easier for a new venture to receive funding than an existing one. Round here, Remould Theatre did lots of good work (inc "Northern Trawl" for those with long memories) but one year the boxes changed and they didn't meet them anymore so exit one community theatre company.

Also bear in mind that the London Olympics has just raided the Lottery again so there is less money there.

My personal opinion is that the priority is to get the organisation focussed and functioning and then consider location etc. It's a matter of getting ducks in line and not doing everything at once as I don't think the resources (both money and management) are there to do it all at once.

All the best

Steve Ogden